You've Got Another Thing Coming
by NinjaLink
Summary: Showing your flaws is one thing, but admitting the truth is impossible to handle. One-shot. T for Language


**Author's Note**: I don't own Naruto by the way. Anyways, dedicated to **zeroplus**. She's a 'writer' here Fan on too. She wanted a ShikaIno fan fiction, so I'm going to give it to her. Hehehe…

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Ino and Shikamaru sat together closely on the park bench, waiting for their sensei to arrive. It was unusual for him to have them wait here instead of the training grounds, but they didn't question it. The heat bore into their skin harshly as the skies were cloudless. Ino, damped in sweat and her bangs stuck to her forehead, sighed heavily continuously while Shikamaru stared at the sky.

"Kami, this is so boring!" Ino cried out. She couldn't take the waiting anymore. Being patient wasn't her trait, but she knew better than taking off before Asuma-sensei arrived. An extra hour of training was punishment. Shikamaru looked over to the platinum blonde with furrowed brows.

"This is such a drag. Now we're going to listen to you bitch?" Shikamaru huffed. Ino frowned at the young man and crossed her arms. He wasn't being pleasant and could have at least showed empathy.

"Hey, this wasn't my idea to wait for Asuma-sensei here!" Shikamaru just crossed his eyes with her and looked away. Ino, annoyed by his silence, "How can you be so calm about this?" Ino asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Ignoring you is the best thing to do when it's hot like this."

"What did you say, punk?" Ino's voice lowered and glared at him. His ignorance bothered her and it wasn't his first time it did so.

"You heard me." Shikamaru swallowed and looked directly into her eyes, "You think you're all high-and-mighty, but you're nothing but a nerd like me and Chouji." His words confused Ino for a moment. She was a nerd like them? She actually cared about herself unlike the other two. She stood to her feet and curled her hands into fists.

"You listen here, Shikamaru!" Ino shouted and pointed a finger at him, "I might be a bitch, but I at least do what I can to make things better!" He stared at her for a long time. Her hair hung high and low in volume. Her purple outfit stuck to her entirely with sweat. It was amusing, but her personality was becoming a pain. How could he and Chouji put up with her?

"Whatever." Shikamaru rubbed his temples and stood up, "You're really troublesome sometimes." He began to walk away, which Ino's eyes widened. He was going to be punished by Asuma-sensei for leaving, but his stride showed he didn't care. He rather put effort into his physical form than have his brain tormented by this woman.

"Shikamaru, where are you going?" She asked loudly, "I'm not through with you!" He stopped and turned to look at her.

"But I'm through with you." Ino gasped as she saw he was being serious. It was rare to see him actually take interest into something especially something like this. She couldn't point out what possessed him to back talk her. He never did. He would be quiet and let her rant, but this time, it was different, "All you ever do is complain and take it out on me and Chouji. All you care about is yourself."

The words hurt Ino, but she wasn't going to let him win. He was intelligent, but she wasn't going to lose. She walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar. Her eyes darted into his and she wasn't in the mood.

"Who the hell said I'm selfish?" Ino asked him.

"No one. Actually, to be honest, everyone knows you're a selfish pig." Shikamaru stated, "Sakura was right; you are a pig." He then smacked her hand from him and began walking away again. Ino, confused and hurt, looked at her teammate leaving. It wasn't the fact he was mad at her, but that she didn't want him to think that way about her. She wanted him to know she was different. She reached out to him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Shikamaru…" Ino said slowly, "I…You don't mean that." Her eyes drifted away. He once again stopped walking and looked at her. He saw the sadness in her eyes and sighed. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do by stopping him, but he figured he tried to set her straight.

"I do, Ino." The words hurt again to Ino, "Look, Ino, we're teammates. We all have opinions and express them sooner or later. And sometimes, it's best to just-"

"I like you, Shikamaru." Ino confessed. Shikamaru, surprised, stared at the blonde. Her eyes were sincere and in query. He looked away to think of what to say, but it seemed redundant. He looked at her and inhaled deeply.

"Ino, you're my teammate." Shikamaru added, "I like you too."

"But I…I like you more…than you think." Ino's cheek turned red. She didn't think she'd come to this, but for some reason, she wanted him to know how she felt. She began shaking.

"What?" Shikamaru, as wise as he is, knew what to say. She gave him a light smile.

"I like you…a lot, Shikamaru." Ino looked away, feeling slightly ashamed. Shikamaru was stuck on what to say next. He opened his mouth, but closed it again. He nudged her hand off his shoulder and crossed his arms. He formed his hands into what he did to think through a difficult situation and then opened his eyes to look at her.

"Ino," He started, "I like you too…but no more than a friend, let alone a teammate." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She listened more closely, "As long as we're a team, there's nothing you or even I, if I wanted to, could do about it. It's not that I hate you or find you completely annoying. You and I are just…not compatible. I'm sorry you feel that way."

A nerve struck Ino hard. It was painful, like something gave her a paper cut between her fingers. It was like grabbing a knife by the wrong end. It felt like her heart fell out of her chest. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Shikamaru, I…" She sobbed between words, "I'm sorry." Shikamaru frowned. Seeing his teammate like this was hard on him, but he knew she was going to be this way before he told her. He sighed lightly and patted her on the shoulder. Comforting a girl wasn't something he knew how to do well.

"Ino, you're a companion to me." Shikamaru assured her, "But remember, we'll always be friends." His words were reassuring, but deep in her heart, she felt the limits of their relationship become permanent. Although, his words were something, she was glad that at least he meant the truth.


End file.
